


Phantom of the Mac

by Cheriluvs10



Category: Fleetwood Mac (Band), Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crossover, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-10 08:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11123502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheriluvs10/pseuds/Cheriluvs10
Summary: Fleetwood Mac/Phantom of the Opera crossover. Dance Era. Lindsey must rescue Stevie after she is kidnapped by an insane recluse.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

 

(1987...)

 

The band relaxed as they finished rehearsing. They had been working hard on getting ready for the Tango in the Night tour and they had rented out an old opera house in order to hear how they would sound. Stevie loved it. It was a very ornate structure dating from the 1800's. As she looked out from the stage, she could see rows and rows of red velvet seats and high above, personal boxes for those who wanted to be by themselves or entertain friends. 

She looked over as Lindsey entered the room. He glared at her as he picked up his guitar and left. Stevie sighed. The relationship had deteriorated so much, they couldn't even stand to be in the same room now. She shook her head. Sometimes she wished she had never met him. Maybe then her life would have been a hell of alot easier.

She heard someone walking on the stage and she looked up bracing herself for another appearance from Lindsey. Instead, she was surprised to see a strange looking man looking around nervously.

"Can I help you?" Stevie asked.

The man looked directly at her and grinned. He walked tentatively towards her.

"Ms. Nicks? My name is Erik. Erik Shields. I'm a huge admirer of yours. I've been following your career since you first joined Fleetwood Mac."

Stevie smiled at him.

"Well...thank you, thank you very much!" She said sincerely

She watched as Erik positively beamed. He took a step closer and held out some sheet music.

"I've....been working on a song and I was wondering if perhaps Fleetwood Mac would record it?"

Stevie took the sheet music and began to look it over. Erik waited patiently until she was done.

"This is really good Erik. You're very talented!" 

Erik's face lit up with delight.

"Coming from you, It means alot to me!" He said gushing. "I think you're a musical genius and....very beautiful."

Stevie blushed which made Erik grin even more. 

"Thank you"

Erik nodded. He held out his hand and Stevie saw that he was holding a white harlequin mask.

"I got this for you too. I thought you might like it."

Stevie took it and stared at it, enraptured.

"It's beautiful." She whispered.

She jerked her head up as she felt Erik lay his hand on her cheek.

"You're...beautiful" He said softly. "This mask is ugly compared to you."

Stevie backed up away from Erik, suddenly uneasy. Erik frowned as he watched her.

"Why are you backing away? I would never hurt you!" He grabbed her hands. "I've heard about your troubles with that fool, Lindsey. I don't think he knows just how much of an angel you really are!"

Stevie tried to run but Erik squeezed her hands causing her to wince in pain.

"I don't think you understand my love for you, Stevie!" Erik continued. "I want you to sing my song and I want you to be mine, forever. I can give you all the love that Lindsey never could. I can build for you a perfect world, free from pain. Just tell me you love me, Stevie and I will be your slave!"

Stevie tried desparately to pull away from Erik. Gritting her teeth as Erik's grip became tighter and tighter on her hands. She began to look around trying to find a way to escape.

"What's going on here?"

Stevie and Erik both looked over as Lindsey stood with his arms crossed. Erik glared at him causing Lindsey to glare back. With his attention diverted, Stevie was finally able to pull her hands free of hers. She dropped the mask and the sheet music on the floor and ran around him as Erik tried desparately to grab at her. Running to Lindsey's side, she looked Erik squarely in the eye.

"Leave now!" She said.

Erik calmly picked up the mask and sheet music and began to advance towards Stevie. As he did, Lindsey stepped between them.

"I think you were told to leave!" He spat out.

Erik stopped. His eyes narrowed at Lindsey.

"She is no longer with you. So what do you care what happens to her?" He hissed.

"We may not be romantically involved, buddy. But, I still don't want a stalker like you to harm her! I'm giving you 3 minutes to get off the premises before I call the police!"

Erik glared at Lindsey as he walked off stage. As he walked past, Lindsey kept himself between him and Stevie as they watched him stomp away. After he had gone, Stevie breathed a sigh of relief and put her hand on Lindsey's shoulder.

"Thanks, Linds." She said

Lindsey nodded.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Stevie nodded.

"Yeah, Just my hands hurt a little where he squeezed them."

*****************************

Erik half walked, half ran towards the opera exit. He couldn't believe what had happened. How dare Lindsey interrupt them! He knew that Stevie had hesitated but he felt sure he could have convinced her to love him. If only Lindsey hadn't interfered. He vowed revenge on him for denying him and Stevie a chance at happiness. He suddenly stopped and leaned against the wall, sobbing.

"Who am I kidding?" He moaned. "Stevie will never love me! She still loves him even though she say she doesn't. I saw the look she got in her eyes when he entered. She could never love someone like me!"

He looked up as he saw a security guard at the far end of the hall. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a door. He reached up and tried the handle. To his surprise, the door opened. Cautiously, he opened it just enough to squeeze through and went inside, shutting it back. He found the lightswitch and flipped it on. He saw that he was in a janitor's supply room. He heard the guard walk pass and he put his hand on the doorknob ready to leave the room when something caught his eye. He looked over to a gasoline can on the floor. As he stared at it, a thought came to his head. He began to grin.

"If I can't have Stevie Nicks, no one can!" He said aloud.

********************************

Lindsey tuned his guitar as Stevie sat in one of the seats in the front row, recovering from her ordeal. Lindsey had decided to stay by her, just in case the creep came back. As he watched her, he thought over what had gone wrong with them. He couldn't believe that in just a few short years they had gone from being lovers to being enemies. He wished he could wave a magic wand and just have everything back the way it was before they joined Fleetwood Mac. Even though Stevie probably didn't believe it, he still loved her with all his heart. He was hoping deep down she felt the same way too.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed the strange scent wafting through the air. But Stevie had, She looked up at Lindsey confused...

"Linds, do you smell gasoline?"

Lindsey stopped and sniffed the air. Now that she had mentioned it, he did smell it. He was wondering where it was coming from when all of a sudden, he heard Chris scream in the distance...

"FIRE!!"

Lindsey stood for a moment in shock before he jumped off the stage and ran with Stevie towards the exit. As they turned a corner, they both skidded to a stop as they saw a huge wall of flame. Beyond it, they could see Mick, John and Chris screaming in horror as they spied them. Doubling back, they ran back to the stage and stopped as they saw the other side of the stage was ablaze. They jumped off the stage and ran up the aisle towards the exit at the back. As they ran they heard a maniacal laugh. Turning around they saw Erik on stage holding a can of gasoline in one hand and the mask and sheet music in the other...

"You'll never escape alive!" He taunted.

Lindsey gritted his teeth and pulled Stevie through the exit as Erik's laugh rang in their ears. 

Suddenly, the flames on Erik's left side flared up and caught his hair on fire. Erik dropped the gas can and ran screaming in agony. Behind him, the gas in the can trickled out towards the fire. Erik rolled around on the floor desparate to put out the flame which had now spread to his face. Finally extinguishing the flames he ran into a room. Spying a window on the other side, he took a chair and threw it thru shattering the window. He took a gigantic leap and jumped through landing with a thud in an alley next to the opera house. He quickly jumped up and ran away holding his charred face. 

Lindsey and Stevie ran, looking around desparately for an exit. They ran into the lobby as the flames raged out of control. Lindsey ran to the double doors and tried them. He screamed a curse when he found they were locked. Looking around, he saw a huge chair. Grabbing the chair he threw it through the glass in the door shattering it to bits. Lindsey and Stevie jumped through the door. Quickly looking both ways, they ran across the street to the delight of the others who had been waiting anxiously. As they reached them, the gasoline can exploded sending flames jutting out of every crevice of the building. Lindsey and Stevie held eachother as they watched the opera house go up in flames. 

On the other side of the opera house, Erik watched it burn. He ran to the middle of the street and grabbing a manhole cover, he heaved it aside and jumped into the sewer below...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

(Twenty years later...)

Stevie swallowed hard as she stepped out of her limo and looked at the opera house. Since the fire happened twenty years ago, it had been rebuilt and was just as grand as she remembered it. The problem was she couldn't help but think of the fire that almost claimed her and Lindsey's lives and the madman that perished in it. Coming back here to record a new album had been Mick's idea. He thought that coming here would be a form of therapy for his band mates. That it would bring healing and closure if they recorded here and nothing happened. Stevie agreed with that on one level but on another level, she just wanted to run away from this place and keep on running. 

She thanked the limo driver before he pulled away from the curb and then she slowly made her way to the front doors. There were ten steps that went up to the elegant wooden doors and as she climbed each one, she felt like her legs were made of lead. But she forced herself to climb up and open the doors. The moment she stepped inside, however, she could hear the voices of her friends coming from beyond the double doors that led to the theater. Their voices and laughter soothed her and it gave her the strength she needed to go across the hallway, open the doors and enter the theater. The moment she did, the voices hushed. Everyone was on the stage and as she came down the aisle, they watched her with huge smiles on their faces. Stevie waved at them and Mick grinned when Lindsey hurried down the theater steps and ran up the aisle to embrace her. Stevie opened her arms and laughed when Lindsey hugged her tightly.

"Hello, my Angel, I've missed you," he murmured to her as he held her tightly. "I'm glad you decided to face your fears and come back to this place. Being here will bring closure to what happened to us in '87."

"I hope so because I don't want to be haunted by what happened anymore," Stevie said as she stepped back to look at him. 

"You won't be. That part of our lives is over. This is a brand new chapter in our lives," Lindsey said. "But do you want me to show you where the dressing rooms are at. We're going to use them to relax in when we're not needed."

Stevie nodded. She held Lindsey's hand and walked with him towards the stage where Mick, Christine and John were waiting to greet her. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So far, it'd been a pleasant afternoon for everyone. Not only were they reconnecting and learning how to be a band again as well as a family but recording a new album to celebrate their reunification and because it was the twentieth anniversary of Rumours. Stevie's mind boggled at that. Had it really been twenty years since their hit album? Seemed like only yesterday that they had gone to Sausalito with Richard and Ken to make a follow up to the white album, little knowing how much of a mega smash it was going to be. She was thankful that she and everyone else had survived that time and the hellish years after it and now they were back together, bigger, better and stronger and because no one was doing any drugs or drunk off their ass, it was actually fun to be around everyone. And Lindsey. Lindsey had grown and matured and he was no longer the sarcastic, hateful asshole she'd come to loathe. He was the man she'd fallen in love with all those years ago and she wanted nothing more than to be with him again.

She walked into her dressing room to rest for a moment. The dressing room was a bit Spartan with an old leather couch and a lighted vanity off to the left with a stool. There was a small leather recliner to the right with a small wooden table beside it and a mini fridge. Stevie looked around and shook her head. The room could definitely use some fixing up and decoration and she was going to start bringing some things in the morning. If she was going to use this space, she wanted it to be pleasant. 

There was one night thing about this room and it was a full length mirror on the back wall. Unlike the mirror over the vanity table, she could see all of herself in this one and it was huge. She walked over to it and looked at herself in the mirror. 

"Stevie!"

Stevie's eyes bulged when she suddenly heard a deep voice that seemed to come from everywhere in the room. She looked around the room but there was no one there. 

"Stevie!"

"Yes?" Stevie said hesitantly as she continued to look around the room. 

"Don't be afraid of me. I am an angel. Your angel. Your grandpa AJ sent me to you because he wants you to work on a new solo album."

"Huh? Is this a joke?" Stevie said, her eyes still darting around the room. 

"No, it's not a joke. Your grandpa wants you to record another solo album."

"But...if there's gonna be an album, it'll be Fleetwood Mac's album. We're talking about recording another one since the band's back together."

"No! You don't need to make another Fleetwood Mac album! You don't need them. You are more than capable of being a superstar without them."

"Yeah but...why should I believe you? I mean, you're just a voice. For all I know, someone put a speaker in here and this is a joke at my expense."

"Turn around."

Stevie hesitated a moment, afraid she'd turn and find some creepy man in her room. But when she turned, her breath caught in her throat when she saw a dozen red roses wrapped in cellophane resting on the vanity table. She was shocked. When she was staring at the mirror, she could see the dressing room door behind her and at no time did it open. But these roses weren't here when she entered and if the door didn't open, how did they get here? She walked over to the roses and picked them up, touching and smelling them to make sure they were real.

"Now do you believe that I'm real?" the voice said.

"Yes. I believe," Stevie said, looking around.

"I am an angel. Your angel. Call me the Angel of Music. I am here to help you become the superstar you once were. You don't need Fleetwood Mac. You are a superstar on your own and I will help you regain your confidence so you can break free of them and become the rock goddess you once were. Wouldn't you like that?"

"Yes, I mean, I would but I'm also a member of Fleetwood Mac and I want my band to do well too."

"They don't need you, Stevie, trust me. You are better than they are. You are the real talent in the band. Just like you were the real talent in Fritz. Just trust me."

"Okay," Stevie said, still unsure. "But I'm supposed to be rehearsing for a tour with my band. That's why we're here."

"And you will rehearse with them but when you aren't rehearsing, come here to me and I will help you become a better singer. I will teach you, Stevie, if you let me."

"Okay," Stevie said.

"I only ask for three things in return."

"I knew there was a catch," Stevie said, rolling her eyes. 

"No, the things I ask of you are easy to follow," the voice said. 

"Okay, what are they?"

"Love me, Stevie."

Stevie was taken aback by that.

"Love you, you're a voice," she said.

"No, I am more than a voice, I am an angel and when you are ready, I will show myself to you. But for the moment, you must love me because it is only through loving me that you can truly trust me."

"Okay," Stevie said, unsure about this.

"Secondly, you must call me Master."

Stevie was shocked anew.

"Master? I'm supposed to call an angel, Master?" she said.

"It is a term of respect, Stevie. I'm not implying you are my slave. I mean Master in the way one might say Maestro or Master to show respect to a teacher. Can you do that?"

"I suppose so. And the third condition?"

"The third condition is very simple. You must forget Lindsey and have nothing to do with him."

"Why?"

"Because Lindsey does not have your best interests at heart. He is holding your back and he is jealous of you and your career. He always has been so you must forget him and focus on me and my teachings. Love me because I truly care about you and have your best interest at heart. Will you love me, Stevie, and forget Lindsey?"

"I...I'm not sure because Lindsey is different. He's a different man from the one he was before."

"That is just an illusion, Stevie. A mask he uses to lure you back into his arms. As an angel, I see everything and I can see into his heart. He wants to control you the way he used to control you. He's luring you back to him with flattery and loving words but the moment you open your heart back up to him, he will revert to the man he once was."

Stevie's heart hurt hearing this. She didn't want to believe the voice when he said that Lindsey hadn't changed but she couldn't help but think of all the times that Lindsey claimed he was a changed man only to do and say the same old things. She still wasn't entirely sure about this voice but the roses did appear in her room as if by magic. And maybe it was time for her to do another solo album. She'd been contemplating one for a couple of years now but she really had lost her confidence and thought that maybe she was an old has been now. Maybe the voice really did belong to an angel and if her grandpa had sent him. 

"Okay, I'll trust you," Stevie said, looking around for the source of the voice. 

"Very good, Stevie. Go ahead and rehearse for your tour but when you finish with that, stay here tonight and I will help you become the rock goddess again."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

(Two weeks later...)

Stevie yawned as she walked into the opera house. The past two weeks she had been working on the Fleetwood Mac album by day and with the angel at night. She hated lying to Lindsey. Every night when he offered to take her home, she had declined saying she wanted to work on her songs and practice her vocals. She didn't think Lindsey was buying it, but he respected her wishes and after making sure there were a couple of security guards on watch, he would reluctantly leave. It had been hard on her, but she had done it before when she was working on her solo albums and Fleetwood Mac albums back in the early days, so she knew she could handle it...

As she walked onto the stage, she noticed the others gathered around a young man who was talking excitedly and gesturing towards the opera boxes. Occasionally they would all burst out laughing, which seemed to irritate the man. He finally threw up his arms in disgust and stomped off. Stevie watched as the others watched him leave and then they looked at one another and snickered. 

They turned and saw Stevie and greeted her warmly. After the others had gotten done with their hellos, Lindsey hugged Stevie tightly and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good morning, hon. I hope you got enough practice on your vocals last night!" Lindsey said with a grin.

Stevie nodded and quickly changed the subject.

"Who was that you were talking to?" She asked.

"Oh that..." Lindsey gestured behind him with a smirk. "His names Joseph. He works here at the opera. He came up to us this morning and started telling us about some opera ghost that haunts here."

"A ghost?" Stevie said hesitantly

"Yeah!" Lindsey chuckled. "Apparently, this ghost has been haunting the opera house ever since they rebuilt it. Supposedly Box 5 up there." He pointed up to a box by the stage. "is his box, and they are never supposed to rent it out or bad things will happen." He waved his fingers in the air at Stevie "ooooooooo, creepy, huh?"

Stevie raised her eyebrows. 

"Are you serious?" she asked

Lindsey nodded.

"Yup and here's the kicker. Apparently, he blackmails the owners. Demands money all the time! What kind of a ghost would want money?"

Lindsey laughed which caused Stevie to smile.

"Anyway, he was over there warning us to beware of the opera ghost." Lindsey snickered. "Kinda sounds like a plot out of the X Files if you ask me!"

"Yeah, it does!" Stevie said.

Lindsey watched as she let out a yawn.

"Hon, are you sure you're getting enough sleep? You remember the last time you tried to overexert yourself, you ended up with a cocaine habit." He put his hands on Stevie's shoulders. "I don't want that to happen again."

Stevie smiled and kissed him on the lips.

"It won't baby, I know better than to do that now." 

"Good." Lindsey said as he hugged her tightly. "I don't want things to become as bad as they once were."

Above them in box 5, a figure clothed in black gritted his teeth at the sight. 

**************************

By the end of the day, they had made alot of progress and Stevie was exhausted. She had promised to meet the angel in her dressing room though and even though she knew she needed to get some sleep. she wanted more than ever to have a hit record again. As she waved goodbye and started off the stage, Lindsey stopped her....

"Angel, Please tell me you're not going to stay tonight. Let's go out to a nice restaurant instead."

Stevie considered it for a moment, but she knew she couldn't...

"I'm sorry, Linds. I can't. Please understand." she began to walk off, but Lindsey grabbed her arm.

"Understand what? That you are working yourself to death? Come on, Stevie. Even I'm not working that hard on the album and you know how I am. I want to get to know you again. It's been too long without you and I want to reconnect our bond!"

Stevie stared at him, tears coming to her eyes as she saw the pained look in his eyes. She summoned all her courage to say what she had to say next...

"I can't Lindsey, I'm sorry." 

Turning away before she could see the crushed look on his face. She quickly hurried off stage towards the dressing room. She got halfway there before a strange man jumped out of the shadows and pinned her against the wall. She blinked as she recognized the man as Joseph, the one who had been talking to the others earlier.

"Don't go to him! It'll only spell disaster for you and for the one you love."

Stevie tried to move past him but Joseph put his hands on her shoulders.

"Listen to me, he is not who you think he is! He is not an angel, he is the devil! The devil uses his sweet voice to trap the unwary. He spins webs of lies around them and by the time they realize the truth, they are caught."

Stevie fought to get free of his grip.

"Let go of me!" She protested.

"Listen! If you have any sense, run back to your lover and ask him to take you far away from this place. You are both in great danger! The ghost will destroy you both!"

Stevie finally broke free of his grip and ran away towards the dressing room. Behind her, he could hear Joseph yell out...

"Beware!"

*****************************

Lindsey gritted his teeth in determination as he stalked to Stevie's dressing room. He had put up with enough bullshit from her. She was coming home with him if he had to drag her out by her hair. He paused by her door and prepared himself for a fight. Breathing in and out, he finally raised his hand to knock on the door.

"Okay, here goes..."

Lindsey paused before he could knock. He had heard Stevie through the door of the dressing room. He began to hear her play her guitar. Curious, he put his ear to the door and listened...

I'm tired...I'm thirsty

I'm wild-eyed in my misery.

Timeless in your finery, yeah

It's a high price for your luxury, yeah

Lindsey's eyes widened. He knew that song. It was Sorceror. Stevie had written it almost 30 years ago when she and Lindsey first came to Hollywood. His brow furrowed in confusion. That song wasn't going to be part of the album...what the hell was Stevie doing singing it when she was suppose to be practicing her vocals?

"NO NO NO! That's wrong! All wrong!"

Lindsey's eyes widened as he suddenly heard a man's voice booming through the door. Frowning, he pressed his ear harder against the door...

"You aren't singing it like you should be!" The male voice continued.

"I'm singing it as well as I can!" He heard Stevie protest.

"NO!!" The voice thundered causing Lindsey to wince. "You can do so much better, You aren't singing it from the heart! You are thinking of him, aren't you! I told you to put Lindsey out of your mind so you can concentrate!!"

Lindsey's frown deepened.

"I'm not thinking of him!" Stevie yelled. "I'm just tired. I've been up all day working on the Fleetwood Mac album and now you want me to come here and give 110 percent when I'm exhausted. I'm trying to please you, master, but it's hard to concentrate when I feel so sleepy!"

Lindsey's eyes widened.

*Master?* He thought * What the fuck is going on?*

"Then perhaps it's time for you to leave them behind and come with me! I can love you like no other, Stevie. I can show you ecstasy and pleasure that that Lindsey could only dream of giving you. Please, Stevie, tell me that you love me!"

Lindsey had heard enough. He kicked the door in with a bang and watched as Stevie nearly jumped off her seat in fright.

"ALRIGHT, WHERE THE FUCK IS HE? I'LL RIP HIS THROAT OUT!!" Lindsey screamed as he looked around the room.

He focused his glare on Stevie who sat looking at him blankly. 

"Lindsey? I thought you'd left?" she said.

Lindsey snorted. 

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Stevie. I realize I'm probably interrupting you and your boyfriend." He walked around the room looking in every corner. "Now where the hell is he?" He screamed out. "OKAY BUDDY, SHOW YOURSELF, YOU CHICKEN SHIT! I WANT TO HAVE A WORD WITH YOU!!"

Stevie stood up.

"Lindsey Buckingham, have you gone insane?" She asked.

Stevie gasped as Lindsey crossed the room and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders setting her down on the vanity.

"Yes Stevie! I'm insane!" He spat in her face. "Insane for ever thinking you could be faithful to me! Now where is this asshole who asks you to love him!"

Lindsey watched as the look of confusion melted away to surprise.

"You mean you can hear him?" She asked in wonderment

Lindsey was taken aback by her response.

"Huh...Yes I can hear him! I heard every word he said!"

It was Lindsey's turn to be confused as he saw a grin spread across Stevie's face.

"Oh Linds! I'm so happy! Now I know I can tell you without you thinking I'm crazy!" she gushed.

"Wha..." Lindsey asked perplexed.

"That was no man you heard, Linds. It was an angel, the angel of music. Grandpa AJ sent him to me to help me record a new solo album."

Lindsey held Stevie out at arm's length, a look of disbelief on his face.

"You gotta be joking." He said

Stevie shook her head rapidly.

"No hon, He really wants to help me. He has faith that I can have a hit record again! Oh Linds, I want to believe so much. I don't want to be a has been. I want to prove to everyone that I still have what it takes."

Lindsey said nothing, instead he stared at her with an open mouth.

"So you're going to record Sorcerer?" He said when he finally regained his voice.

Stevie nodded. 

"Yes, he thinks it could be a hit for me. Oh Lindsey, you know I've always wanted to turn Sorcerer into a song and now here's my chance. For the past two weeks, he's been helping me with it and with some other songs. I wanted to tell you Linds, but he wouldn't let me."

Lindsey raised his eyebrows.

"And why not?" he asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Well..."Stevie hesitated.

"Go on, I'm listening."

"He...thought you would be detrimental to me and the album." Stevie gulped.

"Why Stevie? Because you would have your mind on me then? That seemed to be his big problem with you before when you were trying to sing." Lindsey said angrily.

Stevie put her hand on Lindsey's.

"Oh Linds, I don't like it as much as you do but if grandpa AJ sent him, I know that he knows what he's doing."

Stevie sighed as Lindsey snorted.

"I know you don't believe me..." She began.

"No, Stevie. I don't believe you. I think whoever this 'angel' is, is only telling you these things to get you into bed with him. Come on, Stevie, I thought you had more sense than this!" 

Stevie glared at him as tears formed in her eyes.

"I'm sorry if you think so, Linds. I happen to believe in angels and I know that grandpa AJ would want me to be happy."

Lindsey leaned into Stevie's face.

"Then why would an angel be asking you to love him? Sounds like a pretty horny angel to me, Stevie!"

"I...I" Stevie said softly

"Huh? Stevie, speak up! I can't hear you! Why does an angel want you to love him?" Lindsey hissed

Stevie raised her head to him, her eyes burning with tears...

"I...want you to leave now!" she said.

"No! You tell me..."

"No!! Linds, Leave now!!" Stevie screamed. "Maybe the angel is right! Maybe you are the reason I'm failing in my career! Maybe I care too much for you!"

Lindsey stared at her for a moment, too stunned to speak. Then glaring at her, He released her shoulders and stomped out of the room.

"Fine Stevie! If that's the way you want to be! I'll just leave you and your 'angel' alone now!" He paused at the door. "I see you're still as hardheaded as you ever were, Stevie. You think you're always right. Well, I'm washing my hands of the whole affair! And if this 'angel' turns out to be a rapist or something...DON'T COME CRYING TO ME!"

Stevie winced as Lindsey violently slammed the door causing the room to rattle. She stared for a moment at the door and lowered her head in hands, sobbing.

Unheard by her, the voice gave an evil laugh....


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four 

 

(2 weeks later)

Stevie yawned as she trudged up to the opera house doors. The past two weeks had drained her of all her energy. Lindsey had barely talked to her except to mockingly ask how she was coming along with her album. The days spent working on the Fleetwood Mac album and the nights spent working on her album had left little time for sleep. Adding to that was the fact that ever since Lindsey had stomped out of her dressing room, she practically cried at the drop of a hat. The angel was becoming more and more moody as well, yelling at her if she missed a note but at the same time showering her with praise if she did a song to his satisfaction. And now after only a month, he was beginning to suggest a small concert in the opera house to showcase her new songs. 

Stevie shook her head. It was all happening so fast. In the back of her mind, she heard Lindsey and Joseph warning her not to trust the angel. But then, she thought of grandpa AJ and how much he loved her. He would never send someone to hurt her, would he?

She shook the thought from her head. She needed to concentrate on Fleetwood Mac right now, she would worry about the angel later. As she walked from the parking lot to the doors, she noticed an arab man staring at her intently. She waved to him, but he only stared back, unmoving. Stevie began to move faster, feeling creeped out. She made it into the doors and stood catching her breath. She looked out through the glass and noticed that the man was still staring in her direction. Quickly, she got away from the doors and out of view.

****************************

"Well, well, well...Look who decided to join us!" Lindsey taunted as she stepped onto the stage. "What's wrong, did you have a late night with your angel friend and oversleep?"

Stevie glared at him and said nothing. She grabbed her tambourine and walked farther away from him as he gave her a wicked grin.

"mmhmm...I thought so!" Lindsey said. 

Stevie pretended to ignore him, but deep inside she was hurting. She wanted to reach out to him, to tell him her fears but ever since that night, she had been afraid to and the taunting and the comments only made it worse.

Mick settled down behind his drums.

"How about we start off with My Little Demon?" He said

"Or we could do My Little Angel, right Stevie?" Lindsey hollered over.

As Mick, Chris and John stared at Lindsey in confusion trying to understand what he meant. Stevie decided she had had enough. Slamming the tambourine to the ground, she stomped offstage as everyone looked on...

"I'll be in my dressing room." She muttered.

*******************************

Slamming the door behind her, Stevie collapsed into her chair. Her head fell to the vanity and she began to cry, shaking violently with each sob. She couldn't understand why Lindsey was being so cruel to her or why he couldn't see how important this album was to her. She knew he had never been supportive of her solo efforts but she had been doing it for 20 years almost. Wasn't it time for him to move past the jealousy and be happy for her? For a man who claimed to have changed so much in the past 10 years, he had hardly changed at all...

"Stevie"

Stevie looked up as she heard the angels voice echo throughout the room.

She cleared her throat

"Yes?" She said in a raspy voice.

"What's wrong, Stevie?" The voice asked gently.

Stevie gulped as she lowered her eyes.

"Lindsey" She said softly. "He doesn't understand me."

"Now you see why I told you not to tell him?" The voice said.

Stevie nodded, biting her lower lip.

"I...I thought..." she stuttered.

"I know, I know...poor Stevie" The voice soothed. 

Stevie sniffed, feeling comforted by the soft voice.

"I'm sorry I told him...you were right all along." She said.

"There, there, to err is human...to forgive, divine."

Stevie managed a small smile as she nodded.

"What am I going to do? I can't bear to face him now." Stevie said, her voice trembling.

"You don't have to."

Stevie looked up.

"What do you mean?"she asked.

"Come with me, Stevie. I will shelter and protect you. I can give you all the love that Lindsey cannot."

"But...You're an angel. How would I be able to come with you?" Stevie asked confused.

"Go to the mirror behind you." The voice instructed.

Stevie rose and silently walked to the mirror. She gasped as she watched the mirror part slide back like a door to reveal a catacomb on the other side.

"Walk through the door."

Stevie walked through. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she noticed that the catacombs led off to a tunnel at the far end. She looked behind her as she heard the mirror door slid back into place. She turned and walked to it, studying it intently. Suddenly she jumped and spun around as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she saw the figure of a man dressed in a black suit and cloak and a black fedora. What caught her eye though was his face which had a dirty, white, harlequin mask covering his features. Stevie stared at the mask for a moment. It looked vaguely familiar to her.

As the man started towards her, fear overcame Stevie. She began to scream and claw at the place where the mirror door had been desperately looking for a knob or a release so she could escape.

"Don't be afraid, my love."

Stevie stopped and turned around slowly. She recognized the voice.

"Oh my God," She breathed. "You're him! You're the angel of music!" She said with panic raising in her voice.

The man bowed.

"That I am" He simply said

"You're a man!" Stevie said horrorstruck.

The man nodded.

"I'm sorry I deceived you my darling. But everything I've done I've done for love. I had to make up the story of the angel in order to get you to listen to me without fear. I believe in you, Stevie. That was no charade. I believe you can become the biggest name in music. Bigger even than Cher or Madonna. All you need to do is trust me and let me guide you."

He moved even closer to Stevie. She whirled around and began to claw at the door again, willing it to open. She wanted nothing more than to run back to Lindsey. As the man began to encircle her waist with his arms, a wave of panic washed over her and she began to hyperventilate. As the man held her, Stevie fainted and fell back against his body.

The man stared at her for a few moments and then gathering her up in his arms he walked along the catacombs and down, deeper into the underground where his house was. After a half an hour of walking, he finally came to an underground lake and one of the boats he had built. Stepping into the boat, he laid Stevie down in the back and stepping to the front, he picked up a long pole and began to guide the boat across the lake.

*************************

"Stevie?" 

Lindsey peeked around the corner of the door to the dressing room. He had felt bad about what had happened and after getting a tongue lashing from the others decided to make amends. Looking into the dressing room, he frowned as he found it empty. 

"Now where could she have gone?" He asked himself as he shut the door.

**************************

After a night of tortured dreams...Stevie finally awoke. She blinked as she looked around. She was in a strange room in a strange bed. She climbed out and walked around, confused. She saw dresses in the closet that looked to be her size along with shoes to match. There was a small vanity in the corner. Stevie walked to it and noticed makeup and hairbrushes and a mirror that were personalized with her name. She shook her head at the surrealness of it all. Suddenly she heard a guitar playing. She walked to the closed bedroom door and slowly opened it. She could see the man sitting in a chair playing a classical guitar and following some sheet music that was on a music stand in front of him. As she opened the door wider, the man noticed her. 

"Good morning, Stevie." He said cheerfully. "Can I get you some breakfast?"

Stevie shook her head no as she continued to stare at the mask. She kept thinking it looked familiar to her.

"As you wish, my dear." he said and went back to playing the melody.

Stevie leaned against the door frame listening to him play. She had to admit, it was a beautiful tune. She listened in silence until the tune was finished.

"That's pretty" she said. "Is it yours?"

The man nodded. 

"Actually I wrote it for you." He said. He motioned towards the music stand. "Would you like to take a look?"

Stevie nodded and walked to the music stand. She took the sheets in her hands and read the lyrics aloud....

Don't keep me hanging on a string

Tell me what I feel is no big thing

Don't turn away I'm listening 

Over and Over again...

She looked up and saw that the man was watching her speak in enraptured silence. She lowered her head and went back to reading...

Don't give me visions to explain

There are no doubts, I feel the strain

of all my senses yearning.

Over and Over again.

Every Day I see you

Every Day I need you

Every way I breathe you

On and on and on and on again...

She handed the sheets back to the man. 

"Very pretty." she said

"Ah...more than pretty. I wrote it about you and how you make me feel." He said hugging the sheets to his body.

Stevie could stand it no more. She had to know...

"Who are you?" She said reaching for the mask.

The man gasped and jumped back, knocking over his chair in the process.

"Don't ever touch my mask!" He screamed at her.

Stevie stared at him in shock. He had raised his hand to his mask pushing it against his face. The music sheets he held clenched in the other hand.

"I didn't mean any harm...I just wanted to know who you were" Stevie said hesitantly.

The man slowly took his hand away from the mask.

"Who I am is not important." He said. "Just think of me as your angel."

Stevie nodded which relaxed the man even more. He walked to the chair and sat it upright. Setting the music sheets back on the stand, he sat down with his back to Stevie and began to play Sorcerer.

Stevie stood and listened. Because of her Gemini nature, she was afraid of this man before her and yet curious too. Curious to find out who he was and why he wore the mask. She finally made the choice and slowly she moved her hands around the side of his face as the man was lost in the melody of the song. She hesitated for a moment and then with one motion ripped the mask from his face. For a moment the man sat in shock and then he leaped up and around to face her. 

Stevie's eyes widened as she saw the charred flesh of the man. She let out a horrified scream and stumbled backwards to the floor as the man advanced on her. He grabbed Stevie roughly and pulled her even closer to the blackened skin of his face.

"There! Are you happy now, you little bitch?" the man screamed at her. "You wanted a look at me, well get an eyeful!!" 

Stevie shut her eyes but the man jerked her causing her to open them again.

"I SAID LOOK AT ME!" he hollered. "WHAT'S WRONG, AREN'T I HANDSOME, HUH?"

He began to shake her violently.

"Thanks to you and Lindsey, I was burned beyond recognition in that fire!!"

Stevie's eyes widened as she realized for the first time who it was and why the mask had been so familiar.

"Oh my God!" She breathed

"God? There is no God! If there were I'd be up there with you instead of spending my life down here in the filth and muck!" He said enraged. He threw Stevie to the floor and stood above her waving his fist in her face. "And If I have to live here forever, so will you! You will never see the light of day again!" 

As Stevie sobbed, Erik watched her and began to calm down. An overwhelming sadness gripped him and he felt to the floor beside her, sobbing.

"Why? Oh why...did you disobey me?" He moaned. "Why couldn't you accept me for who I was? Why couldn't you love me as your angel? Instead, you see before you this disfigured freak." Erik put his face in his hands and sobbed.

Stevie watched him. Slowly she slid over and took him into her arms. Holding him like a baby, she began to rock him gently.

"I'm sorry, Erik. I'm so sorry for everything." She said quietly.

Erik put his hands down from his face. He reached up and touched her cheek with a slight smile on his face.

"You have a pure heart, Stevie. That is why I fell in love with you." He said gently. Seeing that Stevie did not shrink from his touch filled his eyes with tears. He began to cry once more. 

"Please, Let me go back" Stevie said softly.

Erik turned and looked up at her with panic in his eyes.

"You want to leave me now?" he said fearfully.

"I..." Stevie hesitated. She wanted to get her words right. "I want to return to the surface, but I will still come to see you if you wish."

Erik stared at her for a moment in amazement. "Really?" He finally said. "You'd return?"

Stevie nodded.

Erik considered it for a moment and then slowly shook his head.

"That's impossible." he said

"But...why?"

He looked into Stevie's eyes.

"You will go back to him and forget me."

"Lindsey?"

Erik nodded.

"Why would you want pond scum like me when you can have the handsome Lindsey Buckingham." He moaned.

Stevie bit her lip at the word pond scum.

"No, I won't see him again. I'm through. It's over!" she said firmly

Erik stared at her. Finally, he spoke.

"Very well, I will let you return as long as you promise never to see him again."

Stevie nodded as tears fell from her eyes.

"I promise"


End file.
